Snow had fallen heavily over London, which is perhaps why there was only a light sprinkling of MPs on the benches today – even though they were discussing their favourite topic: themselves.

They were pondering the bodies which have control over their affairs. One of the things that bothered them most was that some rivals at election time invent spending scandals purely in order to report them and to be able to claim in their election literature that "my opponent is being investigated for his outrageous expenses claims". Many of these allegations disappear in a puff of smoke as soon as the election is over.

But how do you judge some of the claims published today? Obviously all support Gloria de Piero, who claimed £1 for cleaning gloves – do we really want her to turn over the pages of her speeches with raw, red, washday hands? Can any of us jib at Bob Russell claiming £83.13 for toilet paper in his constituency office? Do we expect him to use torn-up copies of Lib Dem Focus?

Another problem was the suggestion that MPs should also log what they do in their spare time – the various charities they support, for example. Bernard Jenkin was incensed. "If we go on a holiday to paint water colours, we would have to register that. Do we want to register everything we do?" Mr Jenkin was being a little disingenuous, as rather than being an aficionado of water colours, he is known as parliament's most famous nudist. (A friend of mine has a house in Scotland near the Jenkins. Once, sailing round a lake, he discovered the entire family, from Lord Jenkin down, disporting themselves nude by the waterside. Not a sight anyone should have to register.)

They are also worried about the suggestion that two "lay members" should sit on the Commons committee that investigates scandals. Helen Jones, for Labour, wanted someone other than the "great and the good" – who, she said, had quite enough jobs already. They should get people who haven't been round the block already because they would bring a "different perspective".

For MPs to have people who are not MPs on a committee of MPs would be, for MPs, quite a wrench. Did Ms Jones mean hairdressers, bus drivers, teachers? We all remembered the catastrophe of the People's Peers a few years ago, when the commonality of new aristocrats included Lady Howe, who was already Lady Howe twice over, through being married to Sir Geoffrey Howe. Mr Jenkin, again, chipped in to say that one of the places should go to a "retired judge". So no hairdressers.

Next they covered Ipsa, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, whose members are believed to be out of touch, arbitrary, unfair and overpaid. Adam Afriyie, the rich young Tory MP for Windsor, spoke mildly, but used words dripping with hatred. "We have handed over the work of MPs to people who are unelected and unaccountable. They are judge and jury, the regulators and the regulated. We would never accept this in any other walk of life!"